Learning Curve
by redgrass-and-silvertrees
Summary: Bruce never expected to become a father but as the months pass with his energetic young ward, he finds the walls around his heart crumbling. This is how the Batman slowly discovered his paternal side. Young Dick/Bruce Family fluff.
1. Friend

**I do not own _Batman_ or it's characters because if I did, the story would be all about the family.**

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"So Dick, what's your favorite kind of bird?" Bruce Wayne asked hesitantly. Inwardly he was grimacing at the childish question but he supposed he could be excused as he was talking to an actual child. His new ward didn't say anything and instead walked silently behind Bruce in a manner that was eerie even for the Batman. He'd found in his meager experience with children that they tended to be loud, but seven year old Dick Grayson had hardly made a sound since he came to Wayne Manor a week before. Of course he didn't expect the child to be completely well after getting a front row seat to his parents' murder but his behavior was becoming worrisome. Bruce frowned as he took in Dick's blank face and wondered if everyone was right. Alfred, Leslie, Lucius, even the damned tabloids, all questioned his sanity when he decided to take in the traumatized orphan. He thought he could offer some kind of help to the boy, or least offer him something better than the local boy's detention center. But watching Dick's sallow face now, Bruce couldn't help but wonder if Dick would've been better off in a more open home.

"We get all kinds of birds out here. We're pretty far away from the city so there are plenty of big trees for birds to nest in. We get cardinals, blackbirds, jays, bluebirds and it seems like we're always overflowing with robins." He continued on awkwardly, trying to fill up the empty silence with something, _anything_. He knew he wasn't very good with kids and had assumed that Dick could work things out for himself. Alfred had strenuously objected to that proposal and had practically pushed him and the kid outside for a walk along the grounds surrounding the Manor. Gotham had just been subject to a few days of heavy storms and the greenery was glistening while the dirt path was entirely covered in mud. _Wasn't that what little boys liked to do?_ Bruce thought, _play in the mud?_ So far Dick's rubber rain boots and coat were practically spotless. Even the socially awkward billionaire could tell that Dick wasn't as fine as he claimed to be. He resisted the urge to sigh, this was hopeless. Where on Earth did he get the idea that he could help the boy when his own tragedies still haunted him?

"We could set up a birdfeeder and draw even more to the grounds. There's a large tree right near your window. We could hang it from one of the branches, that way you can look outside and see all the birds. I can get you a book to identify them, birdwatching is an admirable hobby." They were almost back to the Manor after their long walk and thus far Dick hadn't done much more than trudge quietly after him. Bruce knew Alfred would be disappointed to see them so quiet and clean but he didn't know what he was expected to do. Play with the boy? He wasn't Dick's father and he wasn't trying to be. The only thing he could hope for was that Dick would open up on his own.

They were currently passing by a row of trees which had lined the family estate for a century. Bruce recalled one grainy, well-loved memory of sitting under one of the trees with his father listening to him tell stories about the trees that had seen four generations of Waynes. He shook his head to dispel the thought, now wasn't the time for such ruminations. Turning to Dick to disseminate some other meaningless fact about the Manor's history, he was startled by a bird from a low lying branch flying at him. His training had prepared him for many things but still Gotham's Dark Knight found himself caught off guard by the sudden attack. His attempts to dodge the bird ended with him losing his footing and slipping rather painfully on the muddy trail. A second yelp behind him told him that he must have thrown Dick off balance for soon the both of them were flat on the ground covered in mud. Bruce groaned in disgust as he got to his knees and looked over at Dick who had a wide-eyed expression on his face.

"Did you see that? That was crazy," Dick exclaimed with a hint of excited awe leaking into his voice.

Bruce was about to comment when that damnable bird came back swooping in low causing him to once again fall backwards into the mud as he overbalanced. He was moaning at the squelching feeling of mud seeping down his shirt when he first heard it. It started out quiet, not much louder than a breath, but as Bruce once again sat up there was a bright smile on Dick's face as he was overtaken by giggles. He brought his dirty hands up to his face in an attempt to stop it, but seeing Bruce's mud covered face caused him to lose what little control he had. For the first time since the murder, Dick Grayson looked completely and utterly happy sitting in the mud laughing. Bruce paused for a moment before something warm burned in his chest. He ignored it to look at the giggling child and decided he needed teach this young child a lesson.

"What's so funny bird boy?" He asked dryly as he flicked some of the mud on his hands onto Dick's rain jacket. The child let out a happy little squeal as he grabbed a small fistful of mud and lobbed it at his guardian. His eyebrow twitched as the mud ball dribbled down his shoulder and Dick's delicate chortles settled down. That is, until Bruce reached out to grab the squirming child and drag him further into the dirt. Soon he and Dick were completely coated in mud and, surprisingly enough, he found he didn't mind as much. As they finished their friendly squabble and awkwardly got to their feet, Bruce decided that maybe kids weren't as bad as he'd previously thought. Maybe, just maybe, he could be of some help to the boy.

Dick was a whole new person on the way back to the house. This time, he was always three or four steps ahead of Bruce, periodically stopping and turning to face the amused adult as he reenacted the impromptu mud bath several times. He chattered and jumped playfully in the mud puddles and he was smiling so brightly Bruce though for sure the clouds overhead would part for his sake. By the time they made it to back door of the Manor, Bruce didn't even notice how wet and cold he was. Alfred stepped outside with the towels and his eyebrows flew into his hairline.

"Goodness gracious, what on Earth happened?" Alfred asked taking in their disastrous appearance. Dick jumped up and down, throwing out his arms.

"We got attacked by this bird and Bruce fell down into the mud and then we got into a mud war and it was really fun and now we're really dirty and we probably need a bath sorry about that but it was so cool." His small face beamed and Alfred's face lit up with joy as he lovingly draped a towel over the boy's dirt streaked head.

"My word, it sounds like the two of you have had quite the adventure today. Do you by chance know why that avian adversary decided to attack?" Alfred asked, handing Bruce his own towels as he pulled himself out of his slime filled boots.

"I think it's because you got too close to her nest," Dick chimed in, his hair now resembling a porcupine as he ruffled it with the towel. "You're so tall I think she thought you were going after her eggs. Mom says that parents are always very protective of their babies." He said as he shrugged his shoulders out of his coat and into Alfred's waiting arms. Bruce smiled at the uncharacteristically domestic scene before him. Maybe he wasn't the most affectionate person out there, but he understood what grief could do to a person and he didn't want Dick to suffer like that. So maybe he wasn't Dick's father, but he thinks he just might be able to handle this. Despite his tragedy, Bruce decided that he wanted his ward to always smile like that.

"Yes, I can see why."

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Okay I've been obsessing over these long enough. This will be a short story showing the evolving relationship between Dick and Bruce pre-Robin. As much as I love reading stories about Bruce snuggling Dick and calling him 'baby' and 'son', it's more than a bit out of character. So I decided to show the progression of Dick breaking down Bruce's rather sturdy walls and boundaries. I'll probably update weekly since the whole story is done aside from my last-minute 37th edits.


	2. Teacher

**I do not own _Batman_ or it's characters because if I did, the story would be all about the family.**

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Let's be clear, Bruce Wayne did not care for the Justice League. Half the people on the team were idiots, making messes with their unnatural powers and blundering in and out of dangerous situations. The other half were not idiots and worried Bruce a heluva lot more than the annoying ones. But Batman understood that there were some evils in the world that he couldn't conquer alone. Thus it was wise to ban together with other heroes in case their skills were needed. And besides, it was easier to keep an eye on them when he was amongst them.

Still, as practical and beneficial as it was to form an alliance with superbeings, he still found dealing with them incredibly trying. Taking care of an energetic young acrobat was less draining than one conversation with Superman. As if summoned by his thoughts, he heard Dick scampering down the stairs to the cave at an unsafe speed but Bruce had already wasted too much breath already trying to correct the boy's behavior. Dick stopped his sprint just inches away from his chair with a wide smile on his face.

"Alfred said I have to go to bed now but I told him that you promised to read to me first. We're almost to the end of _Treasure Island_ and I've just got to know what happens. Can you take a break now and come upstairs?" Dick chirped happily, seemingly unconcerned that his guardian was dressed up as the fearsome protector of Gotham. Bruce really hadn't given Dick enough credit when he'd first arrived at the Manor. his underestimation of Dick's cleverness and observational skills resulted in his identity's exposure just a few weeks into the boy's stay. But Dick was smart and he'd done well to keep Gotham's biggest secret under wraps. Despite the security risk it posed, Bruce couldn't help but enjoy the refreshing lightness the boy brought into cave. Dick's eyes went to the screen as he stood on his tiptoes to get a better look. "Whatcha lookin' at Bruce?"

Bruce's content mood plummeted as his attention was redirected to the screen. He'd just received an obnoxiously long note from Kent, yes of course he knew their civilian identities as he was all too happy to remind them. The farm boy was asking him to see if they could incorporate some piece of Martian technology into their systems. The idiot had even ended the note with a smiley face, just looking at it irritated the dark vigilante. Bruce stalked over to the small zeta beam station not really noticing that Dick was trotting behind him. While he was mentally going over the machinery that would undoubtedly take all night to dismantle and re-integrate, Dick was curiously walking around the platform.

"Bruce, what's thi-" the loud boom of the beam activating startled Dick as he jumped back into his guardian's arms. Bruce steadied the boy as the machine quieted down revealing the necessary components. Right, first thing he needed to do was break the machine down and-and what was Dick doing? In his arms, the young boy was practically vibrating with excitement. He looked up at Bruce and his wide blue eyes were alight and the smile on his face was blinding. "You have a teleporter? That's amazing! I didn't think we had that kind of technology! How does it work? Can you show me? Pretty please?" He asked in one breath, bouncing up and down on his toes, radiating excitement and curiosity. Bruce blinked at the outburst.

"The zeta beam? You want to know how it works?" Dick nodded enthusiastically, "It's much too difficult for you, Dick. It deals with complex spatial physics that don't even exist on this planet. It's well beyond what you would learn in second grade."

"Oh," Dick answered quietly as the sheen in his eyes dulled a little bit. Bruce took in his disheartened expression and cleared his throat as he crossed his arms. "But I will give you a brief overview, just so you understand the basics. I'll make it quick as I have a lot of work to do tonight and you need to get to bed." Dick's eyes lit up once more as Bruce removed the outer panel of the machine and began working through the wires and explaining what they did.

The next twenty minutes were spent giving a watered down explanation of the mechanism and the next hour going into further detail upon realizing Dick's probing questions meant he wouldn't settle for anything less. Pretty soon Dick had his grease covered hands in the machinery, asking questions about components and trying to grasp how they worked. The next two hours were spent on the floor with all the books pertaining on the subject laid before them. Dick laid on the floor, intently reading over the complex pages trying to connect the theoretical numbers to the machine before him. Alfred brought hot chocolate down about halfway through and decidedly did not mention the Martian technology which had been shunted to the side to make room for all the books. After that, Dick pulled out some paper and furiously began working out calculations that Bruce had given him, trying to make all the numbers add up.

Finishing the last of his hot chocolate, Bruce stretched out his back from hunching over the books for so long. It had been a while since he'd had the time and motivation to sit down and lose himself in his studies. It had been even longer since he'd been able to share his love of learning with another person. It felt strangely good. Bruce looked over at Dick as he checked his math and pounded away on the calculator and something close to pride welled in his chest. His boy was brilliant, he had a natural grasp of math that he probably learned unconsciously through calculating flips and angles at the circus. More importantly, he was persistent and motivated which is why he was still working away nearly four hours later.

"When I encouraged you to spend more time with Master Dick, I figured you would play catch with him on the front lawn." Alfred said dryly as he picked up the empty mugs. Over at the table, Dick muttered to himself as he erased something and started again.

"He's too talented for that Alfred, the boy's a genius." Bruce proclaimed proudly as he stole another glance at Dick. "I need to look into getting him a real tutor, I know whatever they're teaching him in that prep school isn't nearly enough to satisfy him. We need someone smart enough to challenge him, who can teach him at a level he'll understand while still keeping him interested." Alfred gave him an amused smile, as if Bruce was missing something obvious.

"I suppose a tutor would help but, if I may sir, _you_ possess all of those qualities as well in addition to being someone he trusts implicitly. You are his guardian now, it would do you both some good to spend some time together engaging in some normal activities." Alfred smiled slightly over his shoulder as he picked up the trays to leave. "But another time perhaps, it's after midnight and Master Dick really ought to be in bed."

Before Bruce could reply, a small sound came from his computer alerting him of a new message. Dick was still completely enamored in his calculations and didn't seem to notice as Bruce walked over and read the notice. It was Superman, again, asking to know how the breakdown of the Martian machine was going and that the Flash had volunteered to look at it as well. Bruce frowned as he noted that he hadn't given the assignment a second thought once he and Dick started working.

Under normal circumstances, he would curtly tell Kent to stay out of his business and deny any outside aid from the other heroes. But did he really want to spend all of his time working in the dark with a boring machine? Or would he rather go over more schematics with a boy who reminded him how much he genuinely enjoyed learning things?

"Dick, come here," He said as finished typing his response back. "We're going to zeta this back where it came from, I want you observe just how the process works again before I look over your math." He said pushing the Martian bits back onto the platform for transport. Dick frowned, looking over the objects before glancing shyly up at Bruce through his bangs.

"Weren't you supposed to-"

"I got someone else to look over them, I have more important things to do. Now after this, I want to show you one last thing before I send you to bed." Dick made a face and Bruce couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry chum. How about we look over it again this week? Thursday afternoons are usually slow, I'll come back from the office early and we'll talk about the transport of organic matter." Dick's answering grin was enough to tell him that he had a dedicated student on his hands. Busy though he was, he could make some time for that.

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Wow thanks for such a great response on that first chapter, I'm so excited to share the next part. So I liked the idea of Bruce seeing Dick as more of a student than a son at first which helps strengthen their bond. I feel it would be very in line with both of their personalities plus, I love science a lot so yeah they play with a bunch of cool inventions because they're nerds. This'll probably update every Monday so tune in the next 3 weeks.


	3. Protecter

**I do not own _Batman_ or it's characters because if I did, the story would be all about the family.**

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Logically, Bruce knew that this day would come eventually. He'd just hoped that it wouldn't be today, or tomorrow or any other day if he was being honest. And yet here he was, surrounded by the stunned faces of the Justice League. It had been a mistake, just a random series of events coinciding to reveal one of the Batman's most carefully guarded secrets. The reactions varied from Wonder Woman and Flash's surprised, but smiling, faces to Martian Manhunter's quiet understanding. It seemed everyone was more than a bit shocked to learn that their darkest member, who didn't make a secret of his ambivalence towards them and played by his own rules, had a young child in his care.

Bruce brushes off their stares, their lingering questions and does his best not to show how uncomfortable he is. He feels vulnerable to people he's only just beginning to grudgingly appreciate. Over the past few months, Batman has grown to understand them, as people and heroes, and has slowly come to trust them. That does not mean he wanted to reveal details of his civilian life to these supposed allies, to potentially expose Dick and Alfred to danger.

It should have been simple. The League had gone off on one of it's longer missions. Dick had been exhibiting flu like symptoms just before he'd left, but there was trouble on Mars and the team was needed. Sure enough, when he'd checked in later that night; Dick was in bed with a high fever and cough. During the four days they spent completing the mission, Batman found himself distracted and unusually impatient. The feeling only seemed to intensify every time he called the Manor only to hear Dick whimpering for him the background. Regardless, the task had been successfully completed and they were finally able to embark on the long journey back to the Earth.

On the way back, Bruce contemplated his young charge. Dick had now been living with them for the last six months and Bruce found himself... oddly fond of the boy. It had been a slow process, and certainly not an easy one, but despite everything, he felt lighter with Dick around. Suddenly there was more to life than the mission, now he had other things to worry about like satisfying Dick's ravenous curiosity or trying to get him in bed at a decent hour. He admits to feeling a bit guilty that he had been pulled away by work just as the boy came down with his first illness since coming to the Manor. The anxiousness he feels is unexpected and he decides to reflect on this later while he's making sure Dick is alright. It was these thoughts that keep him preoccupied during the trip when, near the end of their flight, the console phone rings. He frowns, there was only one location has this number. He could just ignore it, but Alfred would only call if there was an emergency.

"This had better be important," he says curtly answering the call. "Is it possible I can call you back in half an hour?" He asks, hoping to end the call quickly as he noted the others leaning forward in anticipation. Usually Alfred was the one who placed calls so he wasn't expecting Dick on the other end of the line. And he certainly wasn't expecting the boy to be crying.

"When are you coming home?" Bruce froze as the childish whine sounded throughout the ship not only startling the other passengers but himself as well. Dick was normally a resilient child, for him to act so out of character his illness must have worsened. He gripped the steering wheel tightly at the thought.

"Are you alright? Are you still feeling unwell?" He questioned, where was Alfred? Why wasn't Dick being taken care of? On the other end, Dick sniffled pathetically and Batman marveled at how much that small sound made him ache. He'd had gunshot wounds that hurt less. Until he'd taken in Dick, he'd never known how much pain children could cause.

"I'm dizzy and my head hurts and I feel sick and achy all over. Alfred said my fever came back but I feel awful and you said you'd be back soon but it's been days and I miss you. When will you come here?" Dick moaned, his lament cut off by a series of wet coughs.

"Shh, you need to calm down," Bruce replied in a soft voice ignoring the surprised expressions on the other Leaguers' faces. They weren't his concern right now. "I will be home in an hour, don't worry. You just need to be brave and wait a little longer." He answered quietly. Luckily, the call had ended shortly therafter when Alfred found the boy and apologized for the interruption before quietly putting him back to bed. But the deafening silence behind him had the more paranoid side of him calculating all the ways the League could hurt him with such damning information.

Naturally, it was the Flash who opened his big mouth first. "Wow, congratulations Bats. Can't wait to meet the wife."

"Really though, how could you leave the poor boy when he was feeling so bad?" Wonder Woman lightly chastised, but she didn't look particularly mad. In fact, she was giving him an almost respectful look.

"I agree, you could have easily conducted your investigation from your home. Young ones need their fathers around to take care of them, especially when they are sickly." Martian Manhunter replied sagely.

They continued to throw out little comments for the final leg of the flight. Once they realized that he wasn't going to answer back, they began to talk amongst themselves. Lantern, who had previously been in something of a stupor, had by now recovered and was chatting loudly with the rest of them.

"Yeah, it's tough enough being a hero, I can't imagine taking care of a little kid on top of that, I can't even keep a house plant alive." He joked with the Flash as the Watchtower came into view and they began their landing procedure. "But kids require care and attention and it seems like Bats is always working on some case so I doubt the kid gets any." Against his will, Bruce's shoulder tensed while Jordan just kept on talking, turning even to address Batman.

"I mean really, what kind of lousy parent leaves their sick kid alone like that? You just dropped him off with a babysitter who can't even watch them properly? I know you're the Dark Knight and everything but kids need love and, buddy, that's not really your-" Batman didn't know or care how the man planned on ending that sentence but Bruce had ended it himself, with his fist. He was breathing heavily from the brutal punch he'd just delivered to the Lantern's jaw feeling a kind of righteous energy in his bones. As the rage faded, he observed the now unconscious hero. The pilot was always trying to rile him up by calling him nicknames and trivializing his lack of powers. But, as much as he'd wanted to, he'd never laid a hand on him before now. So what was different about this time?

Diana moved from her seat and looked over Jordan and not too kindly either, in fact, the entire League appeared to be glaring at the prone Lantern. This was surprising considering he'd just decked the man for seemingly no reason.

"Well, he's unconscious. He might have a jaw fracture but that will heal in time. Maybe it'll teach him to keep his mouth shut next time." She said looking up and giving Batman a small smile. "That was an impressive hit." Flash nodded.

"Yeah really, everyone knows you don't bad-talk someone's kids and you _especially_ don't criticize their parenting. I'd rather fight a legion of villains than deal with a parent accused of treating their kid badly." Martian Munhunter stepped forward with an understanding look. Batman recalled that J'onn once had children of his own on Mars who had been killed in the war. Bruce found himself vaguely uncomfortable that the alien was looking at him with comradery, as if their situations were in any way comparable.

"We can take it from here Batman, I believe you have an important appointment to keep."

A part of him wanted to stay and argue with them. He wanted to explain that they had it all wrong, that Diana should stop sneaking him proud little smiles and J'onn stop looking at him like he's finally found someone who understood. But they did have a point. Regardless of what they believed, Dick has been suffering for days and was now patiently waiting for Bruce to return home and make him feel better. He'd be sure to set the Justice League straight... once Dick was well again.

"We'll do the mission wrap-up in the morning, for now, get that idiot out of my sight." The others just smiled as he opened the door and stalked off of the plane.

"No need to come in tomorrow, a video call will do just as well. And be sure to bring your boy up once he's feeling better. I don't even know him and I like the influence he has on you." Superman called out but Batman didn't respond to his childish baiting. Dick was waiting for him after all, he didn't have any time to waste.

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Okay so this was my favorite chapter to write, one because it's the turning point for Bruce realizing his affections and also I love writing the League, like a lot. They're fun to write for, each with their own distinct personalities. So Bruce is finally starting to realize how important Dick is to him and allowing his paternal instincts to surface. But how much further will he go? Tune in next Monday to find out.


	4. Comforter

**I do not own _Batman_ or it's characters because if I did, the story would be all about the family.**

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"Dick, how many times have I told you not to leave your things down in the cave?" Batman muttered to himself as he stepped out of the car and stumbled over a box of crayons. He observed his normally neat and tidy cave with resignation as he saw blankets and toys littered all across the floor. He wanted to say that this was a new occurrence but he was always finding evidence of Dick's presence in the cave, everything from smudgy child-sized handprints all over his screens to little notes left in his vehicles. Bruce absentmindedly fingered the scribbled message Dick had left him earlier in the evening. Since when had the orphan he had adopted in a burst of empathy managed to root so deeply into his life?

It was just coming up on four in the morning and by this time Dick, and hopefully Alfred, were comfortably asleep. He'd been delayed coming back by Two-Face wreaking havoc at the Gotham Life Building. The battle had been brief but exhausting and Bruce felt every part of him aching from the long, stressing night. He pulled off his cowl and rubbed at his face, not giving the toys in his way a second glance as he stepped over them. Usually Dick was pretty good at keeping his things out of sight when he wasn't playing with them, even then, Alfred was there to clean up whatever the boy left behind. There was something going on here, something that wasn't quite right. Dick never brought out this many toys at once and never left them out so carelessly, but Bruce was too tired to give it more than a passing thought.

He just needed to input the recapture of Dent into the computer and then he fully planned on falling into bed and- Dick? Bruce was surprised to find his ward curled up in his chair, one of Bruce's spare capes wrapped around him like a protective shroud. He had pulled himself into a tight, painful looking ball, with his face hidden from view but Bruce could hear his quiet sniffling underneath the cape. The Dark Knight and billionaire Prince of Gotham, froze.

Usually when Dick was upset, there was a reason for it and Bruce could help him work it out. At the very least, Alfred was there to give Bruce the emotional support he so desperately needed when dealing with the child. But when he last checked in, all had been well. Dick had been safe and sound in his bed when Alfred announced he was going to turn in for the night. So there were very few options that could cause the normally happy child to break down like this. He swallowed nervously, the pain of his parents' murder still haunted Bruce decades after the fact as he heard the fatal gunshots over and over again in his dreams. Not even a year since his family's murder, Bruce imagined Dick had been awakened by the terrible sound of the Flying Graysons' fatal fall. He wasn't good with emotions, he usually sent Dick to Alfred or Leslie for that, but there was no one else awake who was prepared to deal with Dick's nightmares.

"I'm sorry Bruce, I didn't know where else to go." He heard Dick whispered hoarsely underneath the cape, telling the detective that the boy had been down here suffering on his own for quite some time. He found himself hurting at the thought of Dick being alone when he was in such a state. Following the murders, a much younger Bruce had spent many nights anxiously pacing his room as if that would allow him to shed the dreadful images that assaulted his dreams. He cleared his throat.

"It's alright chum," Bruce intoned lightly, using the familiar nickname to try and calm the frightened child. They lapsed into a painful silence after that as Bruce shifted awkwardly on his feet. He didn't know what to do, he wasn't Dick's father and it wasn't his place to try and fill that role. Besides all that, Bruce was simply too detached, too damaged from his own experiences to feel comfortable with the level of intimacy parents were expected to give to children. As much as is pained him to see the boy in his charge so upset, Bruce wasn't sure if he had it in him to bridge the gap between them. While he battled himself internally, Dick finally poked his head from underneath the cape to reveal splotchy cheeks and red rimmed eyes. He sniffed and ran his palm over his eyes.

"Sorry for the mess Bruce, I'll clean it up later I promise. I was just playing around and lost track of time. You look really tired, you should go to bed. I'll be up in a little bit." The boy answered in a halting voice. He even had the audacity to shrug his shoulders and smile briefly as if he could pretend that he wasn't hurting, as if he could convince Bruce that everything was alright. And perhaps that was worse than anything.

Because it made him stop and properly think of how many times Dick had been in pain like this, had visions of broken trapezes and crushed bodies dancing before his eyes only to brush them aside for Bruce's sake. How many times had he ignored Dick's too quiet presence, his soft sobs in the middle of the night due to either ignorance or just because he felt uncomfortable dealing with Dick's problems? The weight of his unintended negligence hit him like a ton of bricks. He took in the boy because he wanted him to grow up without the painful burden of his parents' death dragging him down. Only now was he seeing that he hadn't been honoring that promise, that Dick was hiding his feelings away just like Bruce had and wasn't allowing himself to heal. And if there was one thing in the world Bruce wanted for his young ward it was the peace of mind to move past his tragedy. He knelt before the small, frightened boy and put his hands on his shoulders.

"It's okay to admit that you're scared, Dick," Bruce began slowly, trying to find his feet on this unfamiliar ground. "I know that night still haunts you and that you miss your mother and father but it's good to let it out. You can't keep your feelings locked up like that, you need to let them go and properly grieve." The unspoken _unlike me_ hung heavily in the air as Dick's wide eyes stared up at him sadly with maybe a little bit of surprise. This conversation was long overdue but there wasn't time to dwell on the past, he had to try and save the future. Dick's eyes became watery again and he started scrubbing at them until Bruce gently pulled his hands away.

"They would want you to live Dick and to do that you need to let out that pain you're carrying inside of you." Bruce paused, wondering if he should continue or not. But Dick needed to hear this right now and he wasn't going to let his own discomfort get in the way of that. "I used to think I could handle it on my own as well. I worked hard to hide my pain deep inside and pretend it didn't affect me. It's made me the man I am today and I don't want that for you son and neither would they."

"I-I," Dick whimpered as the tears hanging on his long eyelashes finally began to fall. "I miss them Bruce, I miss them so much, I wish they were still here, I wish we were still a family." He choked out; once again curling into his protective ball, but this time Bruce was prepared. He reached forward and wrapped his arms around the small, shivering child who immediately latched onto him. Dick didn't say anything more but he continued to cry into the heavy material of his cape. Bruce didn't know what else to do at that point, so he just gently shushed the boy and gave the occasional pat on the back when his sobs became too painful sounding. Eventually though, the crying slowed down to a stop until finally Bruce looked down to see the boy resting comfortably on his shoulder. In fact, he would go so far as to say that the boy looked more at peace than he's ever been since coming to live with them.

"Alright, let's get you to bed champ," he muttered to no one as he ascended the stairs with Dick still held protectively in his arms. Luckily Alfred wasn't awake to see him arriving on the main floor still in his costume.

"Master Bruce, is everything all right? I heard the Young Master crying but I couldn't locate him." Bruce hid his wince as Alfred came seemingly out of nowhere, a small candle the only light between them. He did manage to catch the older man's eyebrows rising at Dick's current position. "Sir?"

"Dick just had a nightmare and I told him to let it all out. It's what Leslie used to tell me, you know, and I'm glad to see that it was helpful to someone." He shifted the boy in his arms. "I'm sorry if we woke you, I'll go put him back to bed and then I'll change." Now he can't say for sure as it was awfully dark, but Bruce was pretty sure he saw the butler grin as he passed him.

"Oh it's no trouble at all Sir. You go put the lad to bed and then retire yourself. You've had an eventful, but fulfilling, evening."

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Just when you thought it couldn't get any cuter. There's an awful lot of Bruce/baby Dick fluff on this website, which I adore to pieces, but sometimes I feel they can be a bit OOC. Bruce was not instantly a warm, caring father and I guess that is why I love Brucie. It takes time for Dick and the others to squeeze their way into his damaged heart and that's what makes the bond so meaningful to me. Because, in the end, Bruce honest to god loves his kids, even if he doesn't always show it, that he was willing to open up for them. Sorry, yeah, that was the impetus of this story and I guess why this chapter is special is because this is where Bruce realizes that he needs to step up. Luckily for us, he does and he raises some fine children.


	5. Father

**I do not own _Batman_ or it's characters because if I did, the story would be all about the family.**

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Almost two decades have passed since the night Bruce's parents were gunned down in a dirty alleyway but he still remembers how it felt to watch his family be taken from him. It had hurt unlike anything he had ever felt before, a sharp blow right into his heart that both electrified his nerves and made everything seem numb at the same time. It was a sensation he never put quite forgot and was still reeling from even now. Since that day he'd seen his share of horrors during his training and as Batman, but never again has he felt that dreaded feeling of fear and hopelessness. But this was pretty close.

He was standing in Dick's room, periodically clenching and unclenching his fists to rid himself of the terrifying anxiety that was pounding beneath his skin. Hyperaware, he is mentally cataloguing all the tiny details of his ward's room which, before, had seemed so inconsequential. He notes the scuffed and well-worn red sneakers thrown haphazardly into one corner of the room, the left shoe tilted lazily on its side. He observes the piles of books that litter the boy's bedside from _The Adventures of Robin Hood_ to a book speculating about life of Mars J'onn had given him a while back. He takes in every little detail from the half-finished math homework Dick had abandoned earlier to the glow-in-the-dark stars arranged lovingly on his ceiling.

Mostly he watches Dick, drinking in every detail of the eight year old as if to confirm that he was actually sitting there on the bed, safe and not dea-

"What he _hell_ were you thinking?" Bruce finally spat out, not liking the slight inflection of hysteria he could hear in his tone but unable to get rid of it either. On the bed, Dick shrugged angrily, not looking too upset by his guardian's ire. He didn't even seem too bothered by the fact that less than an hour ago, he was beaten into unconsciousness by the man who had murdered his family. If Batman had arrived just a few moments later, Dick Grayson could have very well have joined his parents. Bruce took a deep calming breath to prevent himself from following that line of thought. "You nearly got yourself killed Richard and for the sake of something as trivial as vengeance." Dick's eyes lit up with rage as he ignored his injuries and quickly stood up on the bed, almost reaching Bruce's eye level.

"It was not trivial!" Dick shouted, seeming so far away from the pleasant, energetic young boy he'd been housing for nearly a year now. "That man, Tony Zucco, he killed them! He killed my mom and dad! And you knew! Why didn't you tell you knew who took them from me?" Dick shouted as he pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"Because I knew you would do something reckless if you found out. I was tracking Zucco down on my own; I almost had him until you decided to go after him on your own. Now because of your actions it could take weeks to track him down again, if he even decides to stay in Gotham." Dick growled and turned away before suddenly spinning back and aiming a punch at Bruce's chest. Batman easily caught the small fist, taking care not to disturb the boy's bandages.

"You don't understand Bruce, he was right there. I was going to make him pay for what he did to them! He killed them just because Mr. Haly wouldn't give him any money. They deserved that, they deserved to be avenged!" Dick yelled.

"Your revenge isn't worth your life. Do you think your mother and father would want you to throw away your life, the last gift you have from them, over something as fleeting as revenge? What about Alfred and I? Do you think I want to put you in a child-sized coffin and bury you next to them? You didn't even think!" Bruce growled back furiously, giving the boy's wrist an aggressive shake as if that would get some sense into that head of his. Dick scoffed as he yanked his hand out of Bruce's grasp.

"Like you even care at all. Just because I live here doesn't make me a part of your family. All you do is boss me around and tell me to be quiet and you hardly ever talk to me. You probably wish you have never taken me in and I wish you hadn't either! We'd both be better off!" Dick cried, lashing out at Bruce once more and, this time, Bruce let him. While Dick's childish punches pounded away at his chest; Bruce was stunned into silence. A familiar ache, one he had learned early on to associate with Dick, gripped his heart. How could he say that? Dick didn't honestly feel that way, did he?

"Do you really think that I care so little for you that I have been unaffected by your presence?" Bruce asked quietly. Dick stopped his assault to glare up at Bruce through frustrated tears. Bruce bent down and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Do you think I don't appreciate the smiles you give me, the way you bring light to this old, grim house? You have made my life so much better Dick. You've given me something, someone, to care about besides my life mission." Bruce swallowed anxiously as he searched for a way to deal with his emotions.

He felt uncomfortable at talking about his tumultuous feelings like this. Not to mention the fact that he was still shaking off the bone deep terror he had felt when he first found Dick's bloodied body at Zucco's mercy. It wasn't always this hard, before Dick came, he didn't struggle with himself like this. Before Dick there was nothing but him and his work. He watched as the anger faded from Dick's eyes and his small body began to shake from the high emotion of the evening. The boy was scared and angry and he needed someone to look after him, to properly care for him in a way that would help him move past his grief. And right now, Bruce was the person that Dick needed. Without a second thought he pulled the boy, _his boy_ , into his arms and gripped him tightly.

"It's okay Dickie, it might not seem so right now but it's going to get better." He whispered as Dick's fingers dug harshly into his back. "You're going to go to school and make friends and enjoy your life because I am not going to let you waste your childhood like I did. And I promise you, we're going to catch Zucco. You're going to get the justice you and your parents deserve." He held the boy closer to him, feeling the ache in his chest at the sound of Dick's sobs shuddering through him.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I was just so mad at Zucco and what he did, I just wanted to hurt him like I'd been hurt. I didn't mean it, I don't really want him dead." Dick choked out as he clung tighter. Bruce shushed him gently, feeling a little more assured as he rubbed Dick's back.

"I know Dick, believe me I understand. If that had been my parents' killer out there, I know I'd have done the same thing." He pulled the small boy away and tilted his chin so he was looking directly into Bruce's eyes. "But vengeance is not the answer, if you go down that path you will be as bad as Zucco. Justice is the only way you'll be able to move forward Dick, it's the only way you'll be able to truly heal." Dick nodded and sniffed, once again locking his arms around Bruce's neck as he buried his wet face into the man's shoulder.

"I just want to make them proud, to be the person they wanted me to be." Dick whispered into Bruce's neck.

"Trust me son, they are proud of you. I know because I am very proud of you." Bruce said, surprising himself with his own words. Proud? Yes, well of course he was proud of Dick for his progress these last few months, proud of the restraint he showed Zucco this evening when he could have easily taken his life. Dick was growing up marvelously and Bruce was starting to realize what a privilege it was to witness that. It's funny how fear makes you realize the things that are truly important.

"Really?" Dick mumbled, his grip relaxing as he slowly calmed himself. Bruce nodded, running a hand through Dick's thick hair.

"Of course, I've always been proud, and I always will be." He answered back, feeling better as Dick relaxed further into his embrace and his tears finally tapered off. But Bruce kept holding him, stroking his messy black hair. He never expected to be in this position, sitting on his knees with a crying child in his arms but Dick was here and Bruce was going to do what he could to help him. And this time we wasn't gong to do it out of a sense of responsibility, but because he wanted this child to be safe and happy.

"I love you, Bruce." His breath caught in his throat. It had been so long since he'd had those words directed at him and he'd denied himself the opportunity to pass them on to someone else. The words had become dusty and foreign as he delved deeper into the darkness that was Batman. But now this boy was here, offering him a better path and freely giving out the words Bruce had long since struggled with. But this brilliant boy had no one else left. If Bruce didn't return them now, then who knows when Dick would hear them next.

"Me too, Dick," he whispered back and he understood right then that he honestly meant it. He gripped the boy who he was only now recognizing as his son, closer to him. It seemed almost as if he could feel the sudden weight of parenthood settling on his shoulders. This wasn't going to be easy, but he was damn well going to make it worth it. "Me too."

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And that's all folks! This is the final chapter of Learning Curve starting from Bruce's awkward and kind of distant attempts at bonding to realizing that somehow he'd fallen in love and never noticed until it was almost too late. In my mind, this is about the point where Robin training begins but that's for another story. Thank you all for your favorites and reviews! I appreciated everyone and I hope you enjoyed!


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